Your Breath Soothes My Soul
by N.S.Bennett
Summary: "'So yes. You are very beautiful.' 'You're not so bad yourself you know.' Emelia said." - When Charlie Weasley agreed to keep an eye on Fred and George in Diagon Alley, he never knew he'd end up bumping into the love of his life. Charlie WeasleyXOC
1. Insane Siblings

It was bad enough having two brothers but having Fred and George for brothers – Charlie was ready to go insane. He rolled his eyes as the eleven year olds dashed off again and he gave chase only to bump into someone. Not someone – a girl.  
"Merlin's beard! I'm so sorry." Charlie said. She smiled at him.  
"Don't worry about it. I was chasing after my bonkers little sister."  
"No way. I was chasing after my insane younger brothers. They're twins so double the trouble." Charlie said and she laughed. He liked it, it was a warm, friendly sound and Charlie couldn't resist laughing as well. "I'm Charlie Weasley."  
"Emelia Grady." She said shaking his outstretched hand.  
"I don't think I've ever seen you at Hogwarts."  
"No, I'm homeschooled but my little sister will be starting this year." She answered and Charlie nodded before there was an almighty crash further down Diagon Alley. They turned and ran towards the sound and found Fred, George and an eleven year old girl in a tangled heap outside Potage's Cauldron Shop, various cauldrons surrounding them. "Lissa!" Emelia cried and the girl looked up at her.  
"I guess we both found our siblings." Charlie murmured and Emelia nodded before reaching out and tugging her little sister to her feet.  
"How many times have I told you not to run off? Diagon Alley isn't like the market back home." Emelia scolded as she brushed her sister down. "I promised Mum and Dad I'd look after you. I can't do that if I can't see you."  
"Come on you two." Charlie said and Fred and George stood up and brushed themselves down. "Emelia, do you and your sister want to come and get an ice cream with us?" Charlie called after the girl that was walking away. She turned back and smiled.  
"We would love to."

Emelia smiled as she sat beside Charlie and watched Lissa's animated conversation with the Weasley twins.  
"Watch out!" Charlie said and Emelia looked at her ice cream before licking the melted cream off her thumb.  
"That's the only bad thing about ice cream." Emelia said as she licked at her Key Lime Pie flavoured ice cream. "They melt too quickly meaning you have to eat them quickly and you end up with brain freeze."  
Charlie chuckled. "That is true. There's that and they also make children stupidly hyperactive." He murmured in her ear and she smiled, turning into him, their faces so close.  
"Charlie!" Molly cried and the teenagers jerked apart.  
"Mum, you're early." He said; looking up at her while Emelia went back to eating her ice cream with a light blush on her cheeks.  
"No I'm on time. Now who is this?" Molly asked, looking at Emelia.  
"This is Emelia Grady and her sister Lissa Grady." Charlie introduced, Emelia giving Molly a shy smile while Lissa gave her an enthusiastic wave.  
"Nice to meet you girls. Are you a friend of my son's from school?" Molly asked, looking at the older girl.  
"No I'm homeschooled Mrs Weasley."  
"Oh."  
"But my sister Lissa is going to start this year." Emelia said brightly and Molly smiled at the younger girl.  
"Are your parents waiting for you somewhere else?" Molly asked and Lissa fell silent.  
"Our parents died in the war. We live with our aunt." Emelia explained.  
"I'm so sorry." Molly said, a hand at her mouth. Underneath the table where no one else could see, Charlie Weasley slipped his hand into Emelia's, linking his fingers through hers and squeezed it gently.


	2. A Small Revelation

"Charlie!" Emelia cried happily as she ran down the platform to her best friend. Charlie looked up at the sound of his name and smiled as he saw Emelia running towards him. He opened his arms and caught her at the right moment, holding onto her tightly, burying his head in her shoulder. All the other students stared as they passed by, curious as to who the girl was. When he finally put her down, Charlie brushed a stray strand of hair out of her face.  
"I missed you." He whispered and she hugged him around the waist.  
"I missed you too." She whispered into his t-shirt before pulling back. "Come on, Ginny and Ron are dying to see you, as is your mother." After sorting out who was carrying what, Emelia held her hand out to him and they walked down the platform together.

Emelia smiled as she wrapped her arm around her little sister's shoulders as she headed towards the Ford Anglia with the Weasleys. After loading the car with their luggage, the Grady girls hugged their friends and promised to get the dinner started before Emelia apparated, her sister holding onto her arm.

When they arrived at the Burrow, both the Grady sisters took a minute to breath. Neither of them were big fans of Apparition but it was how they travelled. Once the nausea had passed, they walked up to the big house and went inside. Emelia instantly rolled her shirt sleeves up and washed her hands and sat at the table peeling potatoes while Lissa regaled her with stories of her classes, her teachers and pranks that Fred and George had managed to pull off. Emelia laughed at some of them, especially her little sister's vivid and comical descriptions of her teachers, some of them even including a physical demonstration which made Emelia laugh even more.

Emelia was stirring the stew when the Weasleys arrived home, leaving the luggage in the car temporarily so they could have a sit down and rest and catch up over dinner before unloading the car.  
"Something smells good." Charlie said, walking over to the stove and kissing Emelia on the cheek. "What are you making?"  
"Stew. Your mother and I agreed on it before we left to come and pick you up." Emelia said, putting the pot onto a low heat and turning to look at her best friend. She crumpled her forehead. "How much sleep have you been getting?" She asked and Charlie shrugged. "Charlie. Answer my question."  
"Why do you want to know?"  
"Because I care." She answered back. "I just want to check that my best friend's looking after himself."  
"Drop it."  
"No I won't. I won't drop it until Charles Gideon Weasley gives me an answer." She said and Charlie grabbed her around the waist.  
"You really want to know?" He asked, his face centimetres from hers. "A couple of hours a night. Four at the most."  
"Charlie!"  
"I've just been worried about my exams and stuff. But I'm fine now, I'll sleep properly."  
"Good, because I don't want you awake at all hours of the night while we're in London."  
"London?" Molly asked as she came into the kitchen. "Why are you going to London?"  
"I don't know about everyone else, but I'm dying to try Emelia's stew." Arthur said and everyone quickly and loudly agreed with Percy and Bill jumping to work setting the table.

"So why are you going to London?" Molly asked as they were halfway through dinner. The table quickly became quiet as everyone looked at Charlie and Emelia who exchanged a look.  
"We're moving in together Molly." Emelia said.  
"Are you sure? You've barely known each other for a year and hardly spent any time together." Molly said, "Is this wise?"  
"Yes, because we're in love." Charlie said before Emelia's foot collided with his shin. "Ow!" He yelped before looking at her. "You kicked me."  
"We agreed on baby steps, remember." She hissed, "Tell them we're moving in together and _then_ tell them we're together."  
"So when did you get together?" Percy asked, looking at them.  
"A couple of days after we met." Emelia answered.  
"Well, I think it's a splendid idea and very mature of you both." Arthur said. "Molly dear."  
"Please Molly. We won't go ahead with it if it upsets you." Emelia said and Charlie looked at her only for her eyelid to flutter shut so quickly that if he had blinked he would have missed it.  
"It's not that it upsets me. I suppose it's because all my children are growing up and I can't control it. A couple more years and Ron will be off to Hogwarts and then Ginny will go and Bill's off to Egypt tomorrow and Charlie's moving in with you." Molly sniffled. "There's nothing so bad as parting with one's children."  
Emelia bit the inside of her lip before sighing and pushing her chair back, standing up as she did so. She walked up to Molly and wrapped her arms around the woman from behind. "Believe me Molly, your children don't really want to leave you either. You are a fantastic mother."  
"Just promise me one thing if you are definitely going ahead with this." Molly said and Emelia nodded.  
"Anything."  
"Make sure Charlie keeps his hair under control." She said and Emelia laughed and hugged the older woman again before walking back to her seat. Charlie placed his hand over hers and squeezed it gently. Emelia flashed him a small smile before picking up her cutlery.  
"Now, Fred, George, tell me exactly how you managed to prank that third year." She said, looking at the twins who exchanged a mischievous grin with each other before looking at her.

Charlie found Emelia in the yard, lying on the grass looking up at the sky as it was streaked with orange, pink and gold. He walked over to her and laid down beside her.  
"I think Mum's going to be OK you know." He said. "She just needs time to adjust."  
"How are you going to tell her about Romania?" Emelia asked and Charlie sighed. "You can't ignore it."  
"I don't start until January. Next year." Charlie said. "I can ignore it until then." He turned his head to look at her. "What about you?"  
"I've already told Aunt Imogen. Lissa knows but I've sworn her to secrecy." She turned to look at him, green-grey eyes staring into blue.  
"Have I ever told you how beautiful you are?" Charlie asked and Emelia smiled before shaking her head. "You are so beautiful. You've got lovely golden brown hair that I just want to run my fingers through. Your skin is soft and smells like the sea. You've got a figure to die for and your eyes-," He broke off, feeling his emotions stirring, "your eyes, I could drown in them and die a happy man." Emelia gave him a small shy smile. "So yes. You are very beautiful."  
"You're not so bad yourself you know." Emelia said, "You've got strong arms that always make me feel safe. Your eyes are an amazing shade of azure and I love them. When I hold your hands I can feel the calluses on your fingers were you've been gripping your broom too hard while you play Quidditch. Your lips are soft and I've always wanted to know what they'd feel like against mine." She blushed slightly and Charlie could feel his face heating up a little bit as well. "And as much as your mother dislikes your long hair, I adore it." She smiled and Charlie rolled himself onto her.  
"You want to know what my lips would feel like against yours, do you?" Charlie asked and she nodded. He bent his head and gently pressed his lips to hers. Charlie pulled back and they smiled at each other.  
"That was better than I imagined it." Emelia whispered and Charlie couldn't resist kissing her again.


End file.
